Bemis; Mrs. Bemis; Aunt Mary! You've heard of
our comical little coincidence--our--Mr. Bemis and my--' He halts,
confused, and looks around for the moral support of Willis, who
follows hilariously.
WILLIS: 'Greatest joke on record! But I won't spoil it for you,
Roberts. Go on!' In a low voice to Roberts: 'And don't look so
confoundedly down in the mouth. They won't think it's a joke at
all.'
ROBERTS, with galvanic lightness: 'Yes, yes--such a joke! Well,
you see--you see--'
MRS. CRASHAW: 'See WHAT, Edward? DO get it out!'
WILLIS, jollily: 'Ah, ha, ha!'
ROBERTS, lugubriously: 'Ah, ha, ha!'
MRS. BEMIS: 'How funny! Ha, ha, ha!'
YOUNG MR. BEMIS: 'Capital! capital!'
BEMIS: 'Excellent!'
WILLIS: 'Go on, Roberts, do! or I shall die! Ah, ha, ha!'
ROBERTS, in a low voice of consternation to Willis: 'Where was I?
I can't go on unless I know where I was.'
WILLIS, sotto voce to Roberts: 'You weren't anywhere! For Heaven's
sake, make a start!'
ROBERTS, to the others, convulsively: 'Ha, ha, ha! I supposed all
the time, you know, that I had been robbed, and--and--'
WILLIS: 'Go on! GO on!'
ROBERTS, whispering: 'I can't do it--'
WILLIS, whispering: 'You've GOT to! You're the beaver that clomb
the tree. Laugh naturally, now!'
ROBERTS, with a staccato groan, which he tries to make pass for a
laugh: 'And then I ran after the man--' He stops, and regards Mr.


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